Drafting and Design Technology major
Drafting and Design Technology: courses, careers, and where to study
Drafting and Design Technology trains you to turn engineering and architectural concepts into precise working drawings and 3D models using CAD software.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Drafting and Design Technology earn a median $71,753 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $56,763 to $85,957 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
Drafting and Design Technology teaches you to translate the ideas of engineers, architects, and designers into the precise technical drawings and computer models that guide construction and manufacturing. Coursework covers orthographic and isometric projection, dimensioning and tolerancing, sectioning, and the interpretation of specifications, along with drafting calculations, material estimation, and the technical and interpersonal communication needed to work on a project team. You build hands-on skill in computer-aided design and drafting tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, and SolidWorks or Inventor, learning to produce 2D plans, 3D parametric models, building information models, and construction documents, and to read the symbols and standards that drawings rely on. Where architecture focuses on designing the form, function, and concept of a building, this field focuses on producing the accurate, dimensioned documents and models that turn a finished design into something that can actually be built or fabricated.
Most students enter through a certificate or an associate degree at a community or technical college, building a portfolio of drawings and models that demonstrates command of CAD and drafting conventions. Drafting itself usually does not carry a state license, though some workers pursue voluntary credentials such as the American Design Drafting Association certification to signal proficiency to employers; requirements vary, so confirm any certification's value with the school and with employers in your area. Graduates work in settings such as architecture and engineering firms, construction, manufacturing, and electrical and mechanical contracting, often specializing in architectural, civil, mechanical, or electrical drafting. A program is preparation for that work and a stepping stone toward design and engineering technology roles, not a guarantee of a position, and pay and demand vary by employer, region, industry, and your experience and software skills.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of architectural and civil drafters, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $64,280 and projects employment to grow about 4.1% from 2024 to 2034; an associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Drafting and Design Technology maps to CIP 15.1301, Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General, within the ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to generally apply technical skills to create working drawings and computer simulations for a variety of applications. Includes instruction in specification interpretation, dimensioning techniques, drafting calculations, material estimation, technical communications, computer applications, and interpersonal communications.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Drafting and Design Technology is awarded as
Of the 3,994 Drafting and Design Technology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 59%, 2,340 credentials.
- Associate: 29%, 1,146 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 8%, 325 credentials.
- Graduate: 5%, 183 credentials.
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Reading and interpreting engineering and architectural specifications and blueprints
- Orthographic, isometric, and auxiliary projection and multiview drawing
- Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and sectioning conventions
- 2D drafting and 3D parametric modeling in CAD tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, and SolidWorks or Inventor
- Building information modeling (BIM) and the production of construction documents
- Drafting calculations, scaling, and material and quantity estimation
- Drafting standards (ANSI, ISO) and the symbols used across disciplines
- Producing assembly, detail, and shop drawings for manufacturing and construction
- Technical communication and collaboration with engineers, architects, and project teams
Typical careers
- Architectural Drafter
- Civil Drafter
- Mechanical Drafter
- Electrical and Electronics Drafter
- CAD Technician
- Design Drafter
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 architectural and civil drafters median $64,280).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Drafting and Design Technology graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Drafting and Design Technology earn a median $71,753 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $56,763 to $85,957 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $71,753 | $56,763 to $85,957 |
| Associate's | $55,895 | $41,549 to $69,506 |
| Undergraduate certificate | $53,359 | $35,073 to $68,539 |
| Master's | $72,860 | $46,042 to $90,450 |
Compare Drafting and Design Technology programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Drafting and Design Technology programs
- Trine University (IN): $77,517, median federal debt $27,000
- University of Central Missouri (MO): $71,326, median federal debt $20,972
- Pennsylvania College of Technology (PA): $68,755, median federal debt $27,000
- Academy of Art University (CA): $66,783, median federal debt $40,171
- Indiana University-Indianapolis (IN): $61,420, median federal debt $26,000
- Murray State University (KY): $58,862, median federal debt $22,500
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Drafting and Design Technology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $64,280 | 10,000 | +4.1% | Associate's degree |
| Mechanical Drafters | $68,510 | 3,300 | -6.5% | Associate's degree |
| Electrical and Electronics Drafters | $73,720 | 1,700 | -5.6% | Associate's degree |
| Drafters, All Other | $62,010 | 1,300 | -6.9% | Associate's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Drafting and Design Technology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Drafting and Design Technology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Drafting and Design Technology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Drafting and Design Technology department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Drafting and Design Technology program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Drafting and Design Technology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- San Jacinto Community College, TX · 186 credentials
- Savannah College of Art and Design, GA · 182 credentials
- Olympic College, WA · 156 credentials
- Ivy Tech Community College, IN · 142 credentials
- Academy of Art University, CA · 120 credentials
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, KY · 89 credentials
- Lee College, TX · 87 credentials
- Utah Valley University, UT · 83 credentials
- Houston Community College, TX · 80 credentials
- Dallas College, TX · 79 credentials
- College for Creative Studies, MI · 74 credentials
- South Texas College, TX · 71 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Drafting and Design Technology credentials were awarded
12 states have a distinct enough set of Drafting and Design Technology colleges to be worth its own page.
Drafting and Design Technology by state
- Drafting and Design Technology in California
- Drafting and Design Technology in Florida
- Drafting and Design Technology in Georgia
- Drafting and Design Technology in Illinois
- Drafting and Design Technology in Maryland
- Drafting and Design Technology in Massachusetts
- Drafting and Design Technology in New York
- Drafting and Design Technology in North Carolina
- Drafting and Design Technology in Pennsylvania
- Drafting and Design Technology in Texas
Every Drafting and Design Technology program with its own CampusPin page
1 program in one state, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Drafting and Design Technology programs in Texas, 1 program
- Texas State Technical College Associate's, $52,041
Related majors
Architecture
Architecture combines design, structural reasoning, and building systems to plan habitable spaces, suiting students who pair creative drawing with technical problem-solving.
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering applies physics, mechanics, and design to the built environment, roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings, suiting students who want to plan and build public infrastructure.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering applies physics, materials, and design to machines and mechanical systems, suiting students who want to build, analyze, and test physical hardware.
Interior Design
Interior Design combines spatial planning, materials, and building codes with studio drawing and CAD, preparing graduates to design functional, safe interiors for homes, offices, and public spaces.
Industrial Design
Industrial design teaches you to shape the form, function, and feel of manufactured products people use every day, blending artistic skill with engineering and manufacturing reality.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Drafting and Design Technology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Engineering & Architecture careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Drafting and Design Technology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Drafting and Design Technology path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.